The Last of Us: Attack on Titan
by Masa-chan1314
Summary: Based on the award-winning video game The Last of Us, an infection breaks out all over the world, causing humans to grow and morph into mindless Titans. Levi is a survivor of the outbreak with Petra standing loyally at his side, and Eren just may be the cure that mankind desperately needs. [Levi x Petra] [Eren x Mikasa.]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Because this fic is based off of the video game _The Last of Us,_ the plot and several pieces of the dialogue will coincide with the game. However, I made sure to add that _Attack on Titan _feel and original pieces from myself_._ I DO NOT OWN _THE LAST OF US _OR ANYTHING FROM THE NAUGHTY DOG FRANCHISE. OR ANY PART OF _ATTACK ON TITAN._  
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><p><strong>[Prologue]<strong>

The wooden clock ticked and tocked on the wall, filling the otherwise silent room with a repetitive noise that never ceased. The small pendulum waved back and forth over the sleeping head of a young man who found refuge in the room's old sofa. He slept soundly to the clock's noise, body curled up in the couch cushions.

Quietly, the front door at the far end of the room began to rattle. The knob twisted and turned completely, and the door eased open. Another man — a tall blond — and a fairly short, tomboyish, young lady crept inside, closing the door behind them, being careful not to startle the sleepy-head on the couch; but when they tried to approach the young man, an obnoxious creak of a wooden board sounded beneath their feet.

"Oh damn it," cursed the crimson-haired girl. The sleeping denizen quickly awoke.

He sat up swiftly, thinking for a moment that he was about to be ambushed, but he caught sight of the two individuals in front of him — their clothes had been dirtied, but they were smiling.

"Happy Birthday, Levi!" the two greeted in unison as the crimson-haired girl held out a box of expensive tea packets.

Levi blinked twice and sank back into the couch, relieved that it was simply his comrades in his wake. "It's just you two..."

"Good thing we caught you sleeping!" said Farlan, the brown-haired man, with a wide smile. "It wouldn't have been much of a surprise if you weren't!"

"We got you something!" sang the crimson-headed Isabel as she placed the box of tea packets in Levi's hands.

Examining the box and its much-too-extravagant design, Levi's brow furrowed. "Where the hell did you two go?"

"Uhh..." The two stuttered.

"We shopped around a bit!" Isabel spat quickly.

Levi was unimpressed. Even though that was his usual expression.

"Don't you like it?" asked Isabel.

Farlan glanced at the short tomboy. "Yeah, don't you love drinking tea?"

Levi placed the box on the low table directly in front of him and exhaled. "It was nice of you to get me something, but don't you two realize what time it is?"

Farlan and Isabel stole a glimpse at the clock above Levi's head.

"It's almost midnight," he growled. "You two could've been caught, and I wouldn't have known until morning." _This is the fucking slums, you dumbasses._

"Oh come on," Farlan groaned. "You gotta lighten up. We're here! We're back! We're safe! It's still your birthday! There's no sense in acting like shit on your special day."

"We just wanted to make you happy!" Isabel smiled.

Levi pursed his lips, still unimpressed.

But he had to admit: what they did was indeed a feat, risking their lives simply to smuggle a brand new box of expensive tea packets.

"Thank you," Levi uttered. "Now go to sleep. It's late."

The two made way for their so-called "sleeping spots," splitting off to separate sections of the building. As Isabel wished Levi goodnight, her leg brushed against the coffee table. She glanced at the table and saw the box of tea packets sitting near a tattered copy of a newspaper. Her eyes glossed past the paper, reading its header quickly:

"Military Fights Back As Mysterious Infection Strikes at 200%."

Confused as to what such a heading meant, she brushed it off and went straight for her own pile of cushions to sleep on.

* * *

><p>Tick.<p>

Tick.

_Tick._

When the clock's hands ticked at the faded number one on the clock's face, it seemed that only Isabel was in a deep sleep. Suddenly, the sound of heavy wood creaking filled Isabel's ears, startling her. She gasped and pushed herself off the dusty cot.

"Someone there?" She asked. There was no reply.

She scanned her surroundings with the help of a small lantern while frantically strapping on three-dimensional maneuver gear. She skulked through the small hallway of the abandoned apartment that she and the rest of the trio lived; but there were no signs of Farlan or Levi anywhere.

The house was empty.

"Guys?" she called out, heart beginning to pound. She hated being alone, especially without them. "Guys!"

She made it into the living room where Levi had originally slept. There was the couch and the old wooden clock, even the box of tea packets she had given him — but Levi was nowhere to be seen. She leaned down and placed her hand on the cushions — they were still warm.

"Anyone?" Her voice began to tremble.

Wherever they had gone, they only left recently — at least on Levi's part. She turned her head to the clock, and her brows knitted together. _Where the hell would you be?_

The front door began to rattle again, only this time, without her touching it. Putting away the lantern, she reached for the blades that were stored in the compartments at her sides; she was ready to strike. _Who the fuck is it?_ She prayed that it was Farlan or Levi fumbling with the door; and when the door swung open and closed half a second after, she found that her prayer came true.

"Levi!" Isabel released her grip on the blade handles and ran to him.

Roughly, he rushed past her to his own set of maneuver gear. His fingers raced to strap everything on, and Isabel watched in confusion.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"These people have gone mad," Levi said harshly.

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, there was pounding on the door.

"Get away from there," Levi warned; Isabel nodded, staring at the door.

The pounding grew louder and louder. With each sound, the door shook harder, hinges weakening drastically. A moist groan came from behind the door, and in one more strong slam, the door flew from its hinges and revealed a grotesque figure.

Grotesque but still humanoid.

Isabel's eyes widened in horror. "What the fuck is that?!"

Levi pulled her behind him as he drew his sharp parrying blades. He stared at the creature before him — a swollen human being with strangely skinny arms. The humanoid figure took a step forward into the room, but, in an instant, was struck down by a flash of light.

It fell onto its knees, bleeding profusely from the stomach. Levi was standing behind it, sheathing his blades with blood splattered on his cheek and arms. Disgusted at the sight, he quickly turned around and rushed back to Isabel, grabbing her wrist again and leading themselves out towards the apartment's back door.

"You... you killed him?" she asked quietly, shocked by the ugliness of what she had just seen.

"We need to get out of here. _Now._"

The back door swung open, slamming against the side of the building, and they hauled themselves out as quickly as possible. Lashing their eyes to the side, they found Farlan standing with his gear ready to go. For a moment, they were relieved; but only for a moment. Startled by the sudden burst, he pivoted on the balls of his feet and saw a horrified Isabel and a blood-stained Levi racing out from the door. As Levi whipped the door shut and locked tightly behind him, Farlan examined him, from head to toe.

"Holy shit," Farlan breathed, staring at the blood all over Levi's arms and cheek. "You got... _blood_ on you..."

"It's not mine, so let's go."

Instantaneously, the three shot grappling hooks from their waists and clung onto the nearest, tall building. They pulled themselves away from the apartment with their maneuver gear and observed the streets from above. What was happening? Why was this happening? They could not help but wonder. When they looked down beneath their feet, they saw perhaps the most wretched image they have ever seen: swollen humans attacked other human beings, grabbing their limbs and snapping their necks. Flesh was being devoured in every corner; the smell of dead bodies permeating the air.

Isabel held her breath, feeling a knot begin to rise up through her throat. Farlan refused to look down at the scene, shaking his head in strong disapproval; but Levi...

Levi watched it all unfold.

The sights he saw were engraved into his mind — the bloodshed, the tears of those who tried to flee from those mutated humans, the death and anguish.

It was all too real.

They descended onto an empty platform, collecting themselves and trying to make sense of what happened in a mere matter of hours. Isabel began to stray from the group, holding her arms and trembling while Levi and Farlan observed her.

"People are turning into these weird, flesh-eating things...!" Isabel cried out. "And everyone's _dying_ and _bleeding_ and... being _eaten_...!And...!"

Farlan approached her and placed his hands on her small shoulders. He looked into her tear-filled eyes, finding the raw panic and fear within her.

"What the fuck is going on?!" She finally screamed, pounding her fists into his chests. She was filled with disbelief and many more emotions that were just too much to bear in one time. "_What the fuck?!_"

Levi quickly turned his head to her, listening.

"Don't be so loud," Farlan said. "They might hear us..."

He wiped her falling tears with his thumb and cupped her face gingerly. He could feel the terror radiating from her body; hear her heart slamming against her chest — or maybe it was just his. She was not the only one of the three who felt this intense strain of horror. He tried to suppress his own trembling to put on such a brave face; but the shaking would not cease.

"Before I came back to the safe house, I heard from other people," Levi began, "that the infection finally hit this city."

Farlan inhaled sharply and slowly exhaled.

The infection — it was not a simple outbreak.

It was a pandemic.

Thousands were struck by this infection — an infection that morphed humans into giant, flesh-eating, mindless creatures scientifically classified as Titans. Their skin would stretch and harden; their muscles bulged and shrank in some places; their mouths widened; and their digestive and reproductive systems were completely destroyed. Everyone within the Underground City believed that the infection would never reach them — they were underground after all. They were away from all the danger above.

They were sadly mistaken.

They did not understand how fast the rate at which the infection spread was underground, compared to the much slower rate above. Immune systems were below average in the Underground City - many had no chance to fight against it.

"It doesn't matter who's infected." Levi gritted his teeth. "We need to get away. Reaching the surface is one thing, but I refuse to stay here and become Titan feces or be a quick dinner."

Farlan nodded and turned to Isabel once more. He tilted her chin up and spoke calmly, "You gotta be strong, okay? At the top of your game, Isabel."

Levi drew his parrying blades once more in a single, smooth motion and spoke boldly to his companions:

"We're getting the fuck out of here."

* * *

><p>It was a tedious process, but it got them somewhere having to constantly connect and disconnect to buildings like monkeys swinging through trees.<p>

For hours they traveled by maneuver gear, avoiding the streets and even the low buildings. They flew with swords in hand as well as the mindset to be as far away from the Underground City as possible. They wanted to be safe — to live. They all hated that place with a burning passion - the slums was no place for any man, woman or child; but the infection in the Underground City was all the more reason to seek refuge at the surface. It would mean a different kind of lifestyle, needing to start all over again - find a new safe house, smuggle some more food and weapons - but it would have been worth it. At least they were farther from the infection. There were more techniques on the surface to keep the infection at bay than underground. Life up top should not be any more difficult and dangerous.

The trio moved at a steady pace with their gear. All was going well.

But then, a strange high-pitched noise came from Farlan's oxygen tank.

He began an awkward descent.

"Shit...!" He mashed the trigger for his 3DM gear, but only the grappling hook seemed to work. There was no more momentum to continue traveling through the air properly, and he fell hard onto the pavement, rolling into a pile of firewood.

Shocked to see their comrade on the ground, Levi and Isabel safely dropped to his location. They landed on their feet and sprinted to him.

"What happened?" Levi asked.

"I... I don't think I have any oxygen left to keep using this damn thing...!" Farlan's intense panic was returning.

"We can still make it!" Isabel said. "We'll just carry you!"

"You can't!" Farlan hastily stood, tossing the bits and pieces of firewood off to the side and ignoring the minor cuts on his knees and elbows. "You'll need both your hands to carry me and both your hands to use the 3DM gear. It's already hard enough with blades in your hands. It won't work. There has to be another way...!"

As they stood contemplating what to do next, heavy footsteps was heard from around the corner. Farlan jumped and backed away from the firewood, feeling tremors in the ground.

And then...

"**_Oh shit!_**" Farlan screamed as a four-meter high Titan grabbed hold of his left arm.

Furious, Levi aimed at the Titan and shot a grappling hook directly into its shoulder. He reeled himself in with blades ready to cut, and he carved through the Titan's neck, blood splattering everywhere. It released its grip on Farlan and dropped him back to the ground. Levi landed with his body bent low towards the ground and then saw a skinny, peculiar-looking shape at his feet. He kicked at it to examine it, and his eyes shot open, horrified.

Levi faced Farlan who struggled to stand. Isabel ran to his side to prop him up, and it was then that Levi noticed Farlan's shoulder spurting out blood.

"**My arm!**" He shrieked. "**Oh my God, w_here is it?!_**"

Pale and cold at the face, Levi took a step back. What did he just see?

"**My arm! My arm! My—!**"

"**Ahhhhh!**"

Two more Titans came, both six meters tall. Isabel held onto Farlan, shielding him from the danger.

"Isabel!" Levi called out.

Frantically, she pressed the trigger of the maneuver gear and gripped Farlan tight; but no matter how hard she tried, she could not lift herself from the ground.

"No...!" Isabel gasped.

Levi rushed to the Titans, filled with nothing but pure hatred towards the monstrosities. He came in, full-force, and slain one in a single blow. As soon as he could connect to the next Titan, another one had appeared, holding Farlan and Isabel in its wrinkly hand.

"**Levi! _Big brother!_**" Isabel screamed. "_**Please help!**_"

It was too late to disconnect and switch targets — he only had two options: kill the Titan he was connected to or slam right into it and break a few bones. Without hesitation, he sliced through the Titan's head, praying he would be fast enough to lay waste on the last one; but as soon as he made his way through the spewing fountain of Titan blood, Farlan and Isabel were nowhere to be seen.

Levi finished the battle and defeated the last Titan in the vicinity. The blood that rained all over him disappeared into a cloud of steam. Slowly he turned, trying to find his comrades and wanting to believe that they made it out alive.

But there was no trace of them except for the severed arm on the ground. Their bodies were gone, but their screams echoed throughout the city.

Levi was all alone now, his own heart ripped out of him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN _THE LAST OF US _OR ANY PART OF THE NAUGHTY DOG FRANCHISE OR _ATTACK ON TITAN_. THIS IS SIMPLY FAN WORK.**

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><p><strong>[Part 1]<strong>

Ever since the Titan outbreak occurred, cities and villages were pillaged and left in ruins. The population was cut by 75%, but gratefully, the spread of infection had been slowed down. However, with the Underground City in complete shambles and the surface still drawing breath, citizens were forced into quarantine zones, building walls between each and calling them Districts to create a more home-like feel.

There were at least six Districts the citizens were most affiliated with: Shiganshina, Stohess, Trost, Mitras, Karanes, and Klorva.

Surrounding these districts from the greater horrors of the world were giant walls: Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina.

Those walls served to protect what was left of humanity; but they were deemed useless when humans became Titans inside the walls and began their blind siege, laying waste to the cities and villages near Wall Maria and forcing citizens to evacuate behind the next wall.

The military wanted desperately to separate the humans from the Titans, but occasionally, people would sneak past the District lines to smuggle supplies and extra food. Some even ventured into the destroyed-yet-restricted cities, only to find themselves infected on the way home.

Through advancements in science while studying the infection, the military resorted to using blood samples to detect infected civilians — they would take blood samples from each suspicious person and place them into a Petri dish. Should the dish even begin to moisten from the inside, the subject was infected with the Titan virus and was shot down on sight.

Many refused to be executed by the ones that were protecting them; so they remained obedient and stayed behind the walls. They dared not to venture beyond, continuously slowing down the spread of infection.

The wall was their guardian, and they prayed everyday that no harm would come to it.

However, there was a group that refused to live life as it was in the quarantine zones — a group that wanted to find a cure to the Titan infection.

They were known as the Shift, but who they were exactly remained a secret to everyone. They simply promised citizens freedom and a way to fight back against the so-called repressive military. But of course, the military was not too amicable about them. All of the Shift members were wanted by the military — cold and dead.

There was no place for them behind the walls. They only disrupted the peace.

But not everyone interpreted peace in the same way.

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><p>Years have passed ever since Farlan and Isabel were taken by the Titans; and Levi was as bitter as ever.<p>

He awoke from a dreamless sleep, seeing the dark ceiling above him as he sat up from the dusty couch. He rubbed his eyes and then the bridge of his nose, head pounding from a heavy drink the night before. He just wanted to forget about everything — everything that happened to his only family. Was that too much to ask? Or perhaps it was best that he remembered? No matter how much he drank, his troubles were never washed away.

There was a knock on the door, and he stood up, rolling his aching shoulder. His face was a hair's distance from the door, squinting to look through the peep-hole. He saw a distorted image of a young, ginger-haired woman standing at the door. She looked at the peep-hole herself and waved shyly. Seeing her as familiar, he removed the locks and opened the door.

It was his partner in crime: Petra Ral.

He closed the door as she strolled in, short hair bouncing lightly and clothes slightly dirtied, front to back. It was annoying to Levi, having to live a new life with clothes always being dirty. Sometimes he wished he lived in places like behind Wall Sina, just for the cleanliness, but all he could do was fake a grin and bear it.

"Good morning, Levi," Petra greeted innocently.

But he was not amused.

"I have some interesting news for you," she smiled happily as she leaned against the back table of the living room. "_Very_ interesting actually."

"Where the hell were you," Levi barked.

She hesitated, hearing the bitterness in his voice. Her smile was wiped away. She then replied slowly, "Trost District. We had to get our medicine... remember? And our ration cards...?"

He stared into her amber eyes, irritated that he was left out in an operation that was supposed to be handled by the both of them. After all, it was dangerous to be in the streets by yourself especially when people were starving out there for food and anything else they could get their hands on. But then his eyes wandered to a red and purple mark on her cheek, slightly swollen but was definitely fresh.

"We." He began, "_We _had to do all that. You didn't even bother to wake me up?"

A pout formed upon Petra's lips, and she spoke nervously, "You told me last night that you wanted to be left alone... Remember that?"

He scoffed at the thought and crossed his arms.

"Did you at least get the medicine?" He exhaled.

"Yes sir, I did!" She nodded happily. "I wouldn't have gone through all that trouble alone to come back empty-handed right?"

She reached into her pocket, and two bottles of pills appeared in her hand. She distinctly placed the two on the table, proud of her solo-work.

"_And_ I got us enough ration cards to last us a couple of months!" Next to the pills — which were a mixture of ibuprofen and aspirin — she playfully slapped a stack of white, plastic cards onto the table.

At that point he was only mildly impressed, but the bruise on her face still bugged him without a doubt. He eased closer to her and lightly held her chin. She blushed softly at his touch and even more so when she also caught him staring. She looked off to the side with pursed lips, wild thoughts buzzing in and out of her as to what would happen next. He then gently tilted her head to the side to examine the fresh bruise.

"What the fuck happened," he said with a low voice.

"I was... on my way back and I got jumped..." That last word struck him hard. Whoever had assaulted her was surely going to pay, and he quickly formulated many sadistic ways to do so. He tilted her head to face his, and she suddenly stiffened from his unnerving glare. "I handled myself fine out there though..." She continued, "I'm fine, Levi."

He took one last glimpse of the bruise and sighed quietly, releasing his light hold on her soft chin. He then went into the rusted kitchen, grabbed a washcloth and soaked it with cold water, wringing it out in the sink. He approached Petra once more, placing the rolled cloth against the blemish.

"They didn't follow you here, right?" He demanded as he held the cloth against her skin.

She shook her head no, wincing in pain.

"Did you find out who they were."

"Their names don't matter." She subtly placed her hand over Levi's and pressed the wet cloth against the bruise. She sighed deeply, "But... what _does_ matter is that _he_ sent them after me."

Levi raised a brow. "_Who_ did."

"Kenny Ackerman."

He paused for a moment and then turned around, speechless, leaving Petra to tend to her own injury. She watched him tense up.

"Levi?" She mumbled.

"I'm gonna fucking kill that man, I swear," Levi groaned. "But that son of a bitch is smart."

"Yes, but... he's not smart enough," Petra said. Levi looked over his shoulder at her. She tossed the cloth onto the table and walked over to his side. She then formed a mischievous look on her face. "I know where he's hiding."

Levi's eyes widened slightly. "Sure you do."

Petra nodded in assurance. "I overheard his goons talking about it. He's back in Trost in an abandoned hotel."

"Hmph," Levi straightened his cravat — the only piece of clothing that was perfectly clean on his person — and made way for the door.

Surprised by the sudden movement, Petra followed after him. "Are we really doing this?"

"You can stay here if you want. But I'm fucking going."

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><p>Petra Ral had been a loyal companion of Levi's for what seemed like ages to the both of them. She was there with him through thick and thin, being the only one that had become close to him after the deaths of Farlan and Isabel.<p>

Ever since he arrived at the surface — of the Trost District specifically — he was accompanied by Petra. They first met at a triage with her tending to his wounds and cleaning the dried blood off of him. She admitted to him that she too was alone and had nowhere to go. Wanting to get rid of a loneliness she felt in their newly altered world, she introduced herself to him as Petra Ral. She asked for his name, but he refused to speak and simply brushed her off. Strangely enough, however, it did not seem to bother her in the least bit.

As she cleaned his superficial cuts, he noticed the lack of light in her eyes. There was no spark that normal people would have. Something precious had been taken from her, and she had been drowned in horror.

Perhaps that was something that they both had in common. They were polar opposites but also one in the same.

One day, he finally left the triage, fully healed and anxious to move on. He went through the quarantine zone, seeing all the ruined architecture and rubble that accompanied the rocky ground. There were leaning buildings, broken roofs — you name it, and it had been destroyed.

When he came across a circular crack in a low-built stone wall, a memory attacked him by surprise. He suddenly remembered the grappling hooks being shot from the 3DM gear and then Farlan's awkward descent. Then he recalled the faces of his dear companions — their calm, happy faces. In a matter of seconds, their faces twisted into expressions of fear, covered with blood. Those were their final expressions, moments before they were grabbed by a Titan — their terror-stricken faces were carved into his mind and could never be erased.

Levi held his breath, in silent agony. He wanted to get away.

Away from it all.

But where?

_How?_

Around the corner, there was a feminine shriek and the sound of a man chuckling. The noise broke him free from his terrible stupor, and he rushed over to the scene. When he finally reached the corner, he saw _her._

"Petra?" Levi mumbled.

She was pressed against the wall with the man's fingers wrapped tightly around her neck. She struggled to breathe, eyes shut from the pain. When Levi took a step forward, she slowly opened her eyes and let out another pale shriek. The man before her was smiling — like a hungry Titan.

_Abomination._

Swiftly, she kicked him in the kneecaps. There was a distinct cracking sound in his bones, and he fell backwards, crying out in pain.

Levi then watched her leap from the wall and grind her fists into the man's face. One, two — four times she struck at him in a blind rage, but upon realizing what she had done, she backed away. She shuddered at the sight of the man's blood on her hands and collapsed onto her knees.

"What did I do...?" she gasped. "Oh God... I thought he was a... I thought...!"

She stared at her shaking blood-stained hands. As her eyes began to well up with tears, Levi finally approached her. He stood in front of her, his body covering the grotesque sight of the unconscious stranger. He reached down and clasped her hands together, the blood dying his palms and fingers red. His touch managed to stop her trembling, and she craned her neck towards him, confused and afraid.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to... for him to...!" She began her trembling again, and he held her hands tighter. She closed her eyes, praying to God that she could simply go home and be at peace with her surroundings — that the world can stop and rewind to better days; but life never worked like that.

She too wanted to get away from it all.

She too was broken inside.

"We're the same," Levi said to her. He helped her up and turned her away from the unconscious man. "So come with me."

* * *

><p>It was almost noon, but the skies were too gray to depict a real morning.<p>

Levi and Petra strolled through the alleyways, acting nonchalant to the other refugees in the quarantine zone. They walked across a road that was littered with wanted posters and garbage, suddenly finding a group of young men being forced out of an apartment.

"On your knees!" One of the soldiers barked. "Don't make any fucking moves."

Each of the men were pinned onto the ground while another soldier extracted vials of blood from their necks. The blood quickly made it into separate petri dishes for an immediate examination which would ultimately decide the fates of those men at that very moment. After sealing the last petri dish with a tight twist of the lid, the soldiers suddenly noticed the warmth of the blood inside. The petri dish began to fog up, and the soldiers all glared at the last man in line.

"This one. _He's infected_."

The man shook his head in panic upon hearing that last word. "No... no...! I'm not!"

Another soldier monotonously aimed his rifle at the man's head.

"Please don't!"

"Fucking Titan."

**_Bang._**

Crows flew away from the nearby building at the sound of the rifle. Each of them called out as they flew over the corpse that was left on the side of the road.

Even the birds were taunting him.

Human beings were not the only ones that knew venturing beyond the walls was ridiculous.

Meanwhile, Levi saw the gate to Trost only a few meters ahead of him. A squad of soldiers were assigned to guarding the perimeter of that gate while only one stood directly in front of it, responsible for dealing with incoming pedestrians. Levi reached into his pocket to get his ID ready — one was necessary to be able to access any of the other districts. As he continued walking, he noticed Petra's absence from his side. He stopped and looked over his shoulder, finding her a few paces behind him, painfully watching the situation with the group of men. He trudged over to her, placing his hand on her wrist. Startled, her eyes snapped to his.

"There's no need to watch," he said to her plainly. "Let's go."

She swallowed hard and nodded, fighting the urge to look back.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN _THE LAST OF US _OR ANY PART OF THE NAUGHTY DOG FRANCHISE OR _ATTACK ON TITAN_. THIS IS SIMPLY FAN WORK.**

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><p>"So what business do you have in Trost?" asked the guard.<p>

"Meeting someone," Levi replied.

"Alright then."

The guard handed the IDs back to their original owners and unlatched the large hook at the gate. Levi watched the man fumble with the gate locks, mentally cursing at him to move faster.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a flash of lightning that rained down from the sky and large tremor behind the Trost walls; an explosion; then the crumbling of buildings.

Everyone froze in their tracks and stared at the sky above the gate.

"What the hell was that?!" the guard yelled.

One of the soldiers standing on top of the gate called out to everyone, "It's the Shift members again!"

"Shit," the guard cursed. He undid his fumbling at the gate and secured it once more. Levi glared at the sudden change of mind. "Sorry folks, Trost District has been closed off! Get back!"

Levi and Petra stepped away as the guard began his climb up to the top of the wall. There was another explosion, closer to the gate that time, and more soldiers were dispatched towards it. Irritated, Levi turned his back and sprinted to the black building across from the gate, with Petra not too far behind.

"Entry into the Trost District has been closed until further notice!" echoed a squad captain.

Soldiers of different shapes and sizes began yelling out their orders in an attempt to capture the Shift members. They used their maneuver gear with the utmost precision, flying to the top of the wall then disappearing behind it.

After reaching the tall, black building, Levi looked back at the soldiers using their gear. He sighed at the sight, wishing he still had his own set of gear with him. He then shook his head and pushed the door open, shutting it tightly as soon as Petra followed inside.

"Well, so much for the easy way in," Petra complained.

"Let's just keep going."

Because the gate to the Trost District had been closed off, the only route remaining was the path around the gate. It would be a tedious journey, but it was the only way. Petra ran through her head the exact route she and Levi needed to take: around the block, through an abandoned restaurant and up a

Levi and Petra climbed a flight of stairs, arriving at a small study space. They pushed a bookcase to the side and uncovered a hidden hole in the wall. Petra jumped through, into the darkness and continued forward. Latching onto a small edge of the bookcase, Levi pushed the bookcase back to its original position, erasing their tracks.

"Watch your step," Petra warned as she almost tripped over a detached pipe. Levi kicked it to the side.

She wandered to a table and lit a match, transferring the flame to the nearest lantern. Using what little light they had in the room, they strode over to an old, rickety workbench that carried two rifles: one for Levi and one for Petra. Obviously, maneuver gear would have served them better in any situation, but they cursed their lack of equipment, vowing to get it all back from the notorious Kenny Ackerman.

At one point, during their time smuggling supplies in and out of the district, Petra had acquired her own set of maneuver gear from the corpse of a soldier. Levi had taught her the basics of it while she settled herself into a routine to condition her own body. Maneuver gear was not easy to handle – it required a strong core and leg strength to propel the body. It was rigorous training for Petra, but she always was a quick learner; it impressed Levi every time there was something she needed to learn, but he refused to show it. Watching from afar, Kenny Ackerman, Levi's previous mentor, scowled at the sight and personally greeted them with gun in hand. He confiscated the 3DMG in exchange for their life, promising to kill Levi with using his maneuver gear the next time they met.

Levi only scoffed at the notion and plotted to retrieve their gear, no matter what it took.

"You know, I was never really good with using rifles…" Petra confessed as she loaded her weapon. "The recoil always gets me. And to make it worse, we don't have that much ammo…"

"Make your shots count then," Levi replied. "It's better than nothing."

"True…"

They each pocketed a survival knife, knowing that dealing with Kenny's goons could get rough. Well, if they were anything like him, of course. Did any of them have the heart to kill a fellow human? Everyone's hate was towards the Titans; so what reason did they have for killing a human that was not infected?

"Alright! I think I'm good to go. What about you?" Petra quickly turned around to head towards the exit but collided with Levi right next to her. She froze, realizing how close their bodies were. They were inches from being chest to chest, his knee almost in between her legs. She slowly looked up at him. _Oh geez…! _He raised a brow as her cheeks reddened – she was too close for comfort. She jumped away, brushing against the rusted shelves behind her, embarrassed.

After cocking his rifle, he slung it over his shoulder and wrapped a dark green cloak around him. He then tossed another green cloak to Petra, and she caught it by surprise.

"Let's go." He turned and made way for the exit, brushing away what had just happened.

Petra nodded. "R-Right."

She was still red.

* * *

><p>They traveled through various alleyways, secretly marked only for their reference. Going directly through the gate would have taken approximately ten minutes to get to Kenny's hideout, even with the short stop to gather weapons at a different safe house. However, going around the gate was a different story – about an hour's worth of walking while hiding their weapons.<p>

They entered a marketplace that was crowded with people begging for food. Others were stationed behind a stand, willing to sell their own wares for money and ration cards, making the crowd even larger. They then snuck their way into a small, abandoned factory which was far beyond restoring.

After reaching the other end of the factory, they stopped at a heavy, black door with a tall, skinny window by the door handle. Petra stepped in front of Levi and knocked twice. The top of a boy's head could be seen approaching the door. He twisted the handle from the outside and opened it slightly.

"Hello," Petra smiled as she pulled out a ration card from her back pocket. She held it in front of the boy like a token, and he opened the door wider. "Could you please check if the coast is clear for us?"

The boy nodded and reached for the card, but Petra held the card high and out of his reach.

"None of Ackerman's men, okay?"

The boy then glanced at Levi who was definitely not amused.

"The _other _Ackerman." _Dumbass._ Levi wrinkled his brow at the boy. He quickly shied away to do Petra's favor, shutting the door quietly while catching a glimpse of Levi's infamous scowl.

Levi despised it when people confused him with Kenny Ackerman. They shared the same last name, but they could not be any more different from each other. Levi even wanted to separate himself from Kenny for as long as possible, but getting his maneuver gear stolen by him did not help one bit.

"It's gonna be a harder job than usual…" Petra sighed. "He's expecting us. And you know that."

"If you want to stay behind, then it's fine by me. But I'd rather have you as my back up if shit hits the fan."

Petra chuckled and turned to the door. The two saw the same blonde headed child at the window and heard the boy knock twice. Petra then opened the door, beginning their expedition into Kenny Ackerman's territory.

Levi beheld the new surroundings – everything was filthy as usual, but there were more people that used the outside as their own home. There was even a handful of individuals that became irritated whenever strangers strolled through. They walked past several tents, acknowledging the people that greeted them by their names. Those were people of different levels of filth according to Levi; and they ranged from the average, dirty and sweaty to ridiculously smelly and disgusting.

Without a doubt, Levi disliked them all.

Suddenly, a burly man, dressed in a brown, sweat-stained shirt stepped in front of Petra. He crossed his arms, holding his head high with a frown upon his lips.

"Excuse us," she said politely. He refused to move.

"Where do you think you're going, lady?" the man growled. He was twice the size of Petra – and Levi – and was much bigger at the stomach.

Petra's brows furrowed. She opened her mouth, about to speak, but Levi stepped beside her.

"Sit your ass back down," he spoke coldly.

The man's scowl disappeared in a matter of seconds, and he side-stepped out of the way.

"I-I'm sorry, Levi. I didn't know she was with you."

"Well, now you know."

The man returned to a wooden chair and sat, pale as a blank canvas. He felt a dreadful coldness emanating from Levi's very presence, and it frightened him to the core. When he and Petra continued onward, the cold barely faded away.

They turned the corner, finding stacks of hay bales lying on the ground. Abruptly, Levi stopped and pulled Petra back behind the corner. He leaned over slightly, taking a peek at the group of thugs patrolling the secluded street. They spoke about others making rounds in different areas and complained about their specific route. There were three in their group, each keeping a pistol at their sides. Levi and Petra skulked behind a large stack of hay bales, creeping closer to the tail of their group.

Levi analyzed the formation of their group and targeted their tail. It was a stupid idea for them to patrol in a straight line. A formation like that would prove useless, and there were so many blind spots that Levi could see; but nonetheless, it was all in his favor.

"Stay here," Levi whispered to his counterpart as he silently approached the last man in line.

The group was heading under a short balcony, needing to make a turn into another alleyway. Before the last man could step underneath the balcony with his comrades, Levi lunged forward and grabbed the man's head. He covered the man's mouth and wrapped his arm around the neck. He dragged him to the side, locking him in a chokehold.

"Which hotel is Kenny Ackerman shitting in," Levi rasped into the man's ear. He released his grip slightly, giving the man a chance to speak.

"I… I don't know…!" The man gasped.

"You know where he is. Stop with your bullshit."

"I…! I really don't!"

Frustrated, Levi tightened his grasp. "_Where._"

The man let out a muffled groan. "He's in the hotel next to the bar up the street…!"

Attempting to fight his way out of Levi's grasp, the man swung his leg towards Levi's shin. Feeling him struggle, Levi moved his leg out of the way and tightened his grip further. Finally deprived of any oxygen, the man's eyes rolled behind his head and fell limp in Levi's arms.

Levi flicked his gaze towards Petra and signaled for her to follow. Showing absolutely no shred of sympathy for the man, Levi threw the body into the hay bales, and proceeded to dust himself off.

"If they want to be good guard dogs, they're gonna have to be smarter than that."

* * *

><p>Around half past noon, a man clad in black ran through the streets in a panic, sweating profusely through his thick clothing. He barged into a beige-colored building and sprinted up the wooden stairs, panting heavier and heavier with each step. When he finally reached the top floor, he made a sharp turn into the very first room on the left. There, he saw another man dressed in black, with his dusty feet propped up on a glossy desk.<p>

"Ackerman, sir!"

The man slid his feet off the desk and tilted his hat upward. "What the hell is it."

"It's Levi."

Kenny Ackerman wrinkled his nose.

"I heard from other men that he's trying to make his way over here!"

"Is that right?" The man was frantic, but Kenny showed no signs of worry at all.

"When some of the patrols were making their rounds, they all noticed that at least one of their members had suddenly gone missing. When they went in search for them, they were jumped!"

Kenny watched the man frantically spew out his cries, only partially interested in what he was saying. At that moment, the single thought that echoed throughout his mind was Levi's now-expected visit. A grin curved onto his lips, already devising ways to wreck his sharp face.

"He's not alone though!" The man swallowed. "One person said he was also travelling with a ginger-haired woman."

Kenny's ears then perked up.

"They're both trying to make their way to you, sir!"

There was a silence between the two and a hint of bitterness in the air around them. Suddenly, Kenny burst into laughter; the man before him was bewildered.

"Levi is travelling with that woman, eh?" Kenny pondered. "Just to see me?"

Hastily, he pulled out a pistol from his holster and began to twirl it around his fingers, illusively aiming the muzzle at the man. The man saw the subtle moments when the muzzle was locked onto him; he choked, dreading the possibility that he had said something offensive.

Suddenly, a rifle bellowed from behind the man.

Blood and flesh splattered all over the floor, just barely touching the glossy desk. The body fell hard onto the wooden floor, cold and headless. Kenny could only smirk at the sight in front of him. There was no compassion for the man that had his brains scattered across the floor.

"Well, if it isn't the little rat that I found a long, long time ago." He fired a shot at the doorway, blasting the wooden paneling of the door.

Levi and Petra stood behind the wall at opposite ends of the room's entrance.

Levi shouted over his shoulder, "We need to fucking talk, Kenny."

He did not reply. Instead, there was the sound of shattering glass from inside the room.

Petra peeked her head past the paneling and found Kenny missing. "He jumped out the window!"

"Tch!" Levi charged, leaping out the same broken window with Petra only a few feet behind.

Kenny sprinted down the street, occasionally firing blind shots to steer away the two pursuers behind him. He weaved through alleyways and jumped into windows, trying hard to out-maneuver the two. Unfortunately for him, Petra kept a sharp eye, leading Levi through the exact same path Kenny went through without breaking their pace.

Then, after what felt like an hour's worth of running, Kenny made a wrong turn and was face to face with a dead end.

"Well, shit," he cursed under his breath, hearing footsteps sounding close by.

Approaching from behind, Levi and Petra drew their rifles, both aiming at him.

Slowly, he turned to face his assailants. "Heh. Levi. And lady."

Petra glared with daggers in her eyes.

Kenny chuckled. "I'm kidding. It's Petra, right?"

Petra's finger tightened at the trigger.

"Oh, come on. You're not really _mad,_ are you?"

Without hesitation, he pointed his pistol at Petra. Before he could properly place his trigger finger, Levi promptly opened fire, shooting it out of his hand.

"Shit!" Kenny grabbed his wrist, having been hyperextended from the shot.

"You're lucky I missed." Levi sneered.

"Heheh… you've changed, you know. Your reflexes have gotten a bit sharper now."

Petra keenly watched Kenny's slow moving hands. His left hand began to ease towards his side but then wandered away for just a moment.

"What have you been up to? Eh, Levi?"

"The maneuver gear," Levi barked. "_Where is it._"

"I'm not telling you," Kenny scoffed. "Not on your life, kid."

Levi's scowl became more prominent, his anger becoming palpable.

"I'm sorry. You _do_ have some years on you now. I'll just stick to calling you a rat. And even if I were to explain, it'll just be… _too complicated_ for you to understand."

"Tell me where the gear is or I'll blow your fucking head off."

"Okay. Fine. I sold them."

Petra's eyes widened, dumbfounded. "What…?"

"It's not like I owed _you two _anything. In fact, the one who should owe me is you, Levi-"

"_Who has our gear?!_" Levi's finger pressed lightly on the trigger.

Kenny remained quiet for a moment.

"…The Shift members."

Instantly, a rope dropped down beside Kenny. At the top of the building next to him, there were three men. Two had pointed their rifles at Levi and Petra while one handled the rope. Swiftly, Kenny latched onto the rope, and the two men above fired at his pursuers. Levi and Petra backed away, dodging the bullets but, to their misfortune, allowing Kenny to flee to the rooftops.

"I promised myself I'd kill ya," Kenny shouted. "But I guess today wasn't a good day for that."

And just like that, he had disappeared; his trail, erased.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN _THE LAST OF US _OR ANY PART OF THE NAUGHTY DOG FRANCHISE OR _ATTACK ON TITAN_. THIS IS SIMPLY FAN WORK.**

* * *

><p>Petra sighed as she stared at the afternoon sky. "Now what happens? We still have to get our gear back, don't we?"<p>

Levi had his head turned to the opening of the alleyway, with his infamous scowl painted onto his face. He then slung the rifle around his shoulder, draping his cloak over it.

"If the Shift members have our gear, what are we supposed to do? Explain it to them?"

"Hmph. Maybe they'll laugh themselves to death and we can steal it all back."

Petra frowned, adjusting her cloak. "Well then… I guess we gotta start looking for a Shift member… they're all in Trost though, so that would certainly be a bother."

"Not all of them are there."

Petra lashed her head towards the street and saw a hooded, brawny young man approaching them. He too was covered with a green cloak, pressing against his bleeding side with one hand and holding a crumpled piece of paper with the other. There was a silver ring on one of his middle fingers, but it was doused with dried blood.

"And who are you," Levi demanded as he slipped his thumb underneath the sling of his rifle.

Petra added while cocking her rifle, "If you're with Kenny Ackerman, it would be best if you back away now."

"Relax. I'm not your enemy." The young man said. He tossed the crumpled piece of paper towards Levi who simply watched it land at his feet. He picked it up, unraveling it from its bunched state. On the crinkled paper, the word "WANTED" was written in bold, black letters. Directly underneath was a faded picture of the man that stood before them: "Reiner Braun. Although I probably didn't need to tell you that myself. It's right in front of you after all."

"_Leader_ of the Shift?" Levi read. He narrowed his eyes and then crumpled the small wanted poster back into a wad. "Why're _you _here."

"I could ask you the same thing."

"None of your business."

Petra eyed the blood at Reiner's side and lowered her rifle.

"Where's Kenny Ackerman?" Reiner asked. "I saw him come over here."

"He ran away," Levi answered.

The hooded, blond man groaned. "…I needed to talk to him."

"You can talk to us."

Reiner raised a brow.

"That 3DM gear he gave you wasn't his to sell or yours to keep. And I want it all back."

Reiner grimaced at the notion. "…I paid for that gear. If you want them back, then do a favor for me first."

Levi clenched his hands into fists.

Dissatisfied with how things are beginning to unfold, Petra sighed, reaching into her back pocket, "How many ration cards do you need?"

Reiner chuckled. "I don't need any. What I need is something smuggled out of this town. If you do that for me, then you can have your gear back."

"But how do we know you got them?!" Petra retorted. "There are only a few of you left after all!"

"You're right."

Suddenly, an explosion sounded about five miles away and was followed by a small tremor. They each watched a trail of nearby smoke ascend into the air, anticipating another explosion. Luckily, there was none.

Reiner spoke quickly, "I gotta get out of here." Levi and Petra's eyes returned to him. "It's your choice: help me out or never see your gear again. I'll even show you the gear as soon as we regroup."

Petra turned to Levi, wanting an answer.

Flustered at their situation, Levi growled, "Let's go then."

* * *

><p>The three snuck freely into empty buildings, avoiding rooftops and the watchful eye of soldiers. They traveled east, away from the Trost gate; all the while, they never caught sight of Kenny Ackerman or any of his thugs – it was as if he had completely fled the town. They all disapproved of the thought, but finding him was no longer a priority of theirs. Regrouping at a safe house without being spotted was now at the top of their list.<p>

They saw countless soldiers scaling the rooftops to tend to the nearby explosions in Trost, but the three skulked about, right under their noses. The soldiers continuously barked orders - specifically about conducting a search for the Shift members that attacked. Supposedly, the Shift members created explosions and destroyed buildings without actually coming out into the open to pursue this operation of theirs. Several theories spoke about how the members simply used timed explosives; how they managed to do so was still a mystery due to the level of engineering society had behind the walls. Other theories included suicide bombers, but if that were the case, there would have been witnesses to testify with it.

The commanders and captains were beyond angry, but such is the life within any military. Frustration and failure: completely normal.

As the three traveled east and into the country side of things, they found a large red stable in the distance. When they finally arrived in front of it, Reiner unlatched the doors.

"The thing I need smuggled is in here." Reiner's words began to sound strained.

Petra noticed it straightaway. "Reiner, maybe you should-"

Suddenly, his head began to pulsate, and his vision faded quickly. Leaned against the doors to push them open but, soon after, collapsed onto his knees. Blood dripped from his side and onto the dirt ground; although a sight like that was not new to Levi or Petra at all.

The two followed him inside with Petra immediately rushing to his aid. She knelt down beside him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Easy, now-"

"What happened?!" an angry young man interrupted.

The trio looked in front of them, seeing a brown-haired teenager with bright green eyes. He wore a faded tan shirt and beige pants and certainly was not happy with whom he greeted at the doors.

Levi stared icily at Reiner. "You're recruiting child soldiers into your ranks?"

Reiner shook his head. "I'm not." Petra helped him stand and leaned him against the wall of the stable. He exhaled in pain: "He's not one of us. Trust me."

He saw Eren's concerned face and assured him, "I'm fine. I got us help. But I can't come with you."

Levi and Petra eyed the boy up and down. _He's younger and taller than us._

"Reiner, I'm staying here," the boy grumbled. "I don't even know who they are-!"

"Eren."

The boy held his tongue.

"…We won't get a second chance."

Petra stepped in between the two and pointed at the boy. "Are we smuggling _him?_"

Reiner nodded.

No one was satisfied with his answer.

"Listen. There's a crew of Shift members that will meet you near northwest side of Wall Rose. At Castle Utgard."

"That's not exactly close, Reiner," Levi quipped.

"I know you and Petra have traveled farther."

Levi's lips curved downward. "And how do you know that."

"I was told about it before."

Levi and Petra looked at each other, knowing that what Reiner had said was true. Levi had traveled all the way through the Underground City. However, Petra's distance was not precisely known. All the same, she too traveled a great distance before meeting him, and the center of their distances combined was located over in Trost.

"This is the plan: you hand him off, come back, and the gear is all yours. I'll even hand over some rifle ammo for you two."

"And where exactly is our gear, Reiner." Levi closed the stable doors behind him, unhappy with his client's demands. "Unless you show us where the gear is, we're not smuggling anything."

Reiner sighed and looked down at his blood-stained shirt. "Follow me, verify the gear, and then I can get all this stitched up. But Eren stays here."

The boy's brow wrinkled.

"I want Petra to watch over him. Levi and I will go to the Shift camp."

Flabbergasted, Petra groaned loudly, "Huh?!"

"Reiner, wait." Eren began, "How do you even know these two? You never mentioned anything about them to _me_."

"I was close with an acquaintance of his." Reiner glanced at Levi. "Erwin, was it?"

Levi rolled his eyes.

"He said that I could rely on Levi to get a job done."

Petra pursed her lips together, contemplating the entire situation. Traveling to Wall Rose and back? Crossing district lines, avoiding government eyes and Titans to boot – all for the sake of getting their precious maneuver gear returned to them?

"I don't really like how this all looks…" She was sullen.

Levi thought it over quickly, overcome by an eagerness to retrieve their maneuver gear. The faster they could obtain their maneuver gear, the faster they could scrounge up supplies and even leave the trashy town they were in. The job would spell danger, of course, but it was nothing he and Petra could not handle. They have had each other's backs for years – another dangerous job for the both of them would not make a difference. The question was, however, would this job be the one that tests all of their survival skills and ultimately decides their fate?

They would be facing _Titan _country after all - Wall Maria was notorious for keeping Titans nearby; and slaying Titans was virtually impossible without the use of maneuver gear. Would sneaking around them be enough?

He refused to put Petra in danger such as that; but then again, if they survived this, they could leave together and find peace in a better district or a better town at the very least. They were tired of living a life where all they could do was steal and lie to the authorities around them - especially Levi.

And just then, he had a plan.

When he finally reached a verdict, he spoke directly to Petra, "Take him back to our safe house and wait for me there. Understand?"

She looked at him with confusion. "But… Levi-"

"He's nothing to be worried about." She tossed her gaze towards Eren then back at Levi. He continued, "It would even be better for you. You'll blend in with the crowd just fine with him at your side. With the exception of the rifle hiding underneath your cloak."

Unhappy with Levi's choice, she sighed heavily. Nonetheless, she trusted him. She believed that he knew what he was doing. Not _all_ decisions had to feel "outstanding" at the end of the day. She had faith that what they were about to embark on would surely be worth it even though it would probably feel like hell to go through.

Eren turned towards Reiner, awaiting an answer.

"Go with her," Reiner ordered.

Eren swallowed hard.

_But just who _are _these people? _He asked himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN _THE LAST OF US _OR ANY PART OF THE NAUGHTY DOG FRANCHISE OR _ATTACK ON TITAN_. THIS IS SIMPLY FAN WORK.**

* * *

><p>Petra watched the green-clad backs of Levi and Reiner as they turned and walked in the other direction of the stable. They walked off into a path less treaded by those who lived even in the countryside – mostly because it was a path that led to Wall Rose.<p>

Eren shut the stable doors behind him, locking it with a board of wood in between the handles and a chain. He wrapped a red scarf around himself – a little stretched from the wear but still perfectly warm at his neck and face. Petra raised her hood, and Eren followed after, traversing through the country land again and then back into the city.

The trees in the country were not as tall as they should have been naturally. They were much shorter but still bore ample amounts of fruit and nuts. There was a very distinct area in which the city met the countryside – a sudden change of landscape in which grey rubble laid sprawled across the ground. That was a checkpoint that Levi noted – the line to cross to make it into the city. When Petra and Eren crossed that line, Eren looked all around him, watching buildings grow and grow, shrink, then grow. It was much different in the country, where the buildings remained the same size and the trees and crops were the only things that changed.

Five minutes into crossing the "border" line, Petra led Eren through streets and alleys in a zig-zag fashion, vaulting through broken windows, passing through various doors – Petra and Levi would do this routine every single time they went out of the city; but on their way back to the safe house, they would change their route as a safety measure to keep stalkers and other followers at bay. The sights were the same but in an altered order, so it was all a tedious journey either way.

When they finally came across the citizens of the rubble city, Eren felt a strange gaze locked onto him. He caught a glimpse of his surroundings, just barely turning his head – there were the usual buildings that loomed over him, the usual rubble; but the strangers that stared had bothered him so. There were men eyeing him carefully, noticing that he did not seem familiar in their boundaries compared to Petra. Petra may have been a beautiful, feminine sight to see in the streets, but their attention was drawn to Eren and his unfamiliarity in their little world.

Eren adjusted his scarf, covering his mouth a tad bit. Then, from the corner of his eye, he heard a stranger mocking the general orders soldiers call out to citizens: "'Attention: report any suspicious activity immediately to the nearest sentry.'"

He heard the stranger chuckle and whisper something into another man's ear just before giving him another dirty look. Before reaching the next alleyway to turn into, Petra and Eren were blocked by a wall of burly men. Petra scowled at them, unwilling to deal with such nuisances.

"Well," the tall, tan-skinned one in the middle of the group smirked, "what's going on in this neck of the woods, hmm?"

"A kid _and_ a woman? In _these_ parts?" another man snickered; the rest of the group followed through.

A sense of panic filled Eren's heart, but Petra lashed out at them: "Listen, if you're going to get in my way, you should rethink the next couple of steps you're going to take. "

"Oh?" gleamed a shorter man.

"Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean you have any authority over me." Petra shot daggers through her eyes, mentally stabbing each of them in the face.

They all had craned their necks to look down at her. The man in the middle replied with a quiet snicker, "As far as I can see, you ain't with Levi right now."

Petra sighed. _So?_

"Pretty-boy ain't gonna pull you out of danger now."

Petra reached under her cloak and wrapped her fingers around the sling of her rifle. She slid it down her arm and cocked it.

"I'm sure he knows I can fend for myself."

The block of men looked at each other, wide-eyed. Shocked by their lack of preparation, they stood speechless at Petra's loaded rifle. With a hesitant foot, they each stepped aside, opening a path for her and her shadow, Eren. She slung the rifle around her shoulder once more, hiding it with her cloak. As she passed the men, she heard one of them speak in a forcibly hushed tone: "Apologize to her, damn it!"

Petra smiled at the strength of her presence while Eren followed along. He too was stunned at the presence she gave to others. It was unexpected – a short but gorgeous woman such as her could strike with a coldness to those around her with a simple movement on a rifle. She never even planned to shoot at them with a heft weapon like that.

_How would you like _that, _huh_? She thought, wishing she could say it to Levi. But in reality, she would not have had the guts to utter any of those words. She feared he would think of her as cocky; or, along the lines of his vernacular, a cocky _bitch._

* * *

><p>After making those numerous turns into alleys and street corners, they at last came to a straight-away leading to a two-story apartment that had long ago sank into a one-story building. The roof had collapsed along with the top floor, but after receiving some help from carpenters, the building was morphed into a one-story apartment but with no buildings. The lobby of the original apartment was turned into a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom; only there were no beds, no stairs, and barely any sort of divider. Almost all physical forms of privacy were taken away, but privacy was certainly something that can easily be managed.<p>

Eren queried while examining the exterior of that modified building, "Where are we going exactly?"

Petra looked over her shoulder. "To a safe house Levi and I live in." She pointed straight ahead. "It's just right over there."

"So you _both _live in it?"

"Yes." Petra began to think.

"Does that mean you two are a couple or something?"

Petra stopped in her tracks. She whipped around, facing Eren with a redness in her cheeks, "No, it's not like that!"

Eren pouted. "Geez… Maybe I shouldn't have asked."

Petra inhaled deeply and continued walking, collecting herself with every step. "That's okay."

Following beside her, Eren continued, "Do you two smuggle a lot of things?"

"Maybe," she breathed.

"Like… illegal things?"

"Sometimes…" _Well, that _is _what smuggling means though._

"Have you ever smuggled a _person _before?"

Petra shook her head. "No, actually. This job is going to be the first time that happens. It sorta feels weird…"

As a duo, Levi and Petra smuggled plenty of things: food, ration cards, ammunition, rifles, extra gear, clothes – but never had they have to smuggle a living, breathing thing with them. Smuggling a living person like Eren was definitely a change of pace.

_Speaking of which… _Petra began, "So what's the deal with you and Reiner anyway?"

Eren hummed in confusion.

"How'd you manage to befriend the leader of the Shift? You're awfully young to be _that _close to a figure like him.

Eren looked down at the ground with a solemn face. "It's… a long story. And I'm fifteen. I'm not _that _young."

"Why aren't you with your parents?"

"…My mom was killed by a Titan a long time ago…"

Petra stopped again, looking at Eren.

He too had stopped walking. "As for my dad… Well, I heard he was in Shiganshina… That's all though." He raised his head and shrugged his shoulders, "It's better than nothing, I guess."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Eren," Petra said with compassion.

"Don't worry about it."

"But did you stray from your father or something though?"

"No, he… went off on a trip somewhere. He's a traveling doctor. Then the Titans came and destroyed the whole district. That's when I was separated from everyone, including my friends."

Petra frowned, feeling sorry for the boy. A child such as him going through times like that must have been so hard. Being separated from one parent made life confusing enough. Being separated from both simply made life a huge mess.

She sighed and continued walking again, almost at the door of the safe house.

Eren added, "And just so you know, I'm not allowed to tell you why you're smuggling me, if that's what you're trying to get at."

"I don't need to know right this minute," Petra said calmly.

She pulled a key from her shirt pocket and slid it through the knob. She then pushed the door open, lighting a match immediately upon entry to get a lantern ready.

"This is it," she said. "Shut the door."

"Okay."

The lantern dimly illuminated the first quarter of the building. Petra roamed around in the shape of a square, lighting the different lanterns that sat on various surfaces of chipped furniture.

Petra then sat on the couch near the door and hugged a small red pillow. She then eased her head back, releasing a huge sigh, "I can finally sit down…"

Eren stood by the door, pivoting his head in every direction, observing every nook and cranny inside the room. Everything was so cramped together, and there was very little walking space. The couch seemed faded along with its pillows; the wooden tables were dusty, the dressers were chipped, and the kitchen appliances were beginning to rust over. There was a bathroom in the corner and the kitchen in the opposite corner. It was not the best place to live in, but it served Levi and Petra well. Despite there not being a separate bed for the two of them, sometimes Levi would sleep on the floor with a blanket over him and Petra snoozing soundly on the couch.

Shyly, he leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. He hugged his knees taut. "You know, something?"

Petra listened.

"I've never been this close before."

"To where?"

"To the outside."

"What do you mean? We're still miles away from the walls."

"I know, but… it's still something."

"Is that right?"

Petra looked at the clock by the kitchen. It was almost sunset by the time they managed to return to the safe house, and Levi had yet to return. _He'll be alright,_ she thought to herself. _I'm sure. Reiner's just showing Levi what we need. Nothing more, nothing less._

In truth, she worried about him, fearing that Reiner might not have been true to his word. The world constantly brings surprises to everyone from around any corner. Without surprises in people's daily lives, the world would not be complete. But with surprises also come downsides. Not everything is happy-go-lucky in the world. What if Reiner actually died from his wound and Levi's making his way back with nothing? What if Reiner actually betrayed Levi and did unspeakable things to him? What if both of them died during their trek? Captured by thugs? Imprisoned by soldiers? Mutilated by Titans?

What if?

Petra pinched the bridge of her nose. _Why am I just suddenly beginning to doubt you?_

_Ah._

_He'll be fine. I just know it._

"Hey, Petra?" Petra jumped in her seat, snapping out of her thoughts. "Did I say your name right?"

"Yes."

"I'm Eren Jaeger. I never managed to properly introduce myself."

"Nice to meet you, Eren," she said tiredly.

He simply wanted to kill time. Sitting in the same room as a stranger was already awkward enough. Doing so for who knows how long would have felt like hell. Eren scratched his head, staring off into the depths of the dim room.

He then entertained something that was completely out of the ordinary:

"I've always wondered what it would be like…" he said. "Beyond the walls, I mean."

Petra remained silent.

"It can't be any worse out there… can it?"

She was not at a loss for words – she just could not phrase it correctly without possibly offending him. Such an inquisition was not something that would come from a boy his age. It was peculiar to her, but she was nonetheless intrigued by his curiosity.

He went on, "I've heard that there are mountains… oceans… and so much more out there. So much more…"

But what _were_ mountains exactly? What _were _oceans?

"We don't know a thing about those so-called mountains and oceans… it's all because we're holed up in here. Behind the walls."

Petra hugged her pillow tighter, contemplating Eren's opinions.

"We can't figure anything else out if we're always keeping ourselves from the rest of the world, you know?"

She looked at him grimly, and he frowned slightly.

Petra then replied with a soft voice, "Eren… what do the Shift members want with a young boy like you?"

His eyes sank to the carpet. "I can't answer that."

* * *

><p>When the clock's hands turned to the faded seven of its wooden face, Petra and Eren were sound asleep, awaiting Levi's return. They waited patiently, having very many awkward conversations, but they managed to kill time together. It was not a complete waste.<p>

Petra breathed in softly and exhaled through the narrow part in between her lips. She rested her head on her hand as Eren had fallen asleep on the floor. The door beside him then began to rattle lightly, the knob twisting and then pausing for the door to be pushed open with it. Levi entered the room silently, somehow shutting the door behind him without making a single sound. He was startled by Eren's sudden appearance in the bottom right corner of his eye and nudged at him with his foot.

"Wake up, kid." And Eren was suddenly wide awake.

Petra opened her eyes and quickly snapped her head up to see Levi standing beside her. She greeted him with a yawn, "Oh, good evening, Levi."

"Sleeping on the job?"

"N-No…" _Maybe. _She rubbed her eyes. "How'd it go?"

Levi began to strip off his green cloak. "I've brought something with me. Hard as fuck to smuggle from _them _though."

He tossed his cloak to the top of the couch, revealing what precious items he had been hiding throughout his trek. What Eren and Petra saw was beyond their belief. Strapped to Levi's sides were long, metallic, blade-filled compartments; handgrips; and oxygen tanks.

Eren jumped onto his feet, dumbfounded at the sight. "No way!"

Petra was speechless.

"That's the 3DM gear!"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN _THE LAST OF US _OR ANY PART OF THE NAUGHTY DOG FRANCHISE OR _ATTACK ON TITAN_. THIS IS SIMPLY FAN WORK.**

* * *

><p>"That is definitely the 3DM gear that Reiner kept locked up," Eren blurted. "You stole it?!"<p>

"Maybe I did, but you know what?" Levi spoke calmly; he then walked towards Eren and grabbed him by the collar.

"Levi?" Petra stood, concerned.

He forcefully pulled Eren down, causing the boy to stumble out of balance. They were eye to eye now, Eren practically limp in Levi's hold. He then glared ruthlessly at the boy, his gaze piercing through Eren's skull. "If you let one word slip about it, I'll rip your teeth out. _Got it?_"

Eren's bright green eyes gleamed with fear. He felt a cold aura emanating from Levi's grasp and nodded at him to reply. Levi then released him and let him shuffle back towards the door.

"Go back to sleep, brat," Levi demanded, a bit more irritable than usual. "You'll need it when we get going."

Levi unstrapped the numerous strips of leather wrapped around his body, setting down the two sets of maneuver gear he had smuggled from the Shift. He had amazing strength for a man of his short stature, carrying two sets of gear on his person when it was already difficult enough to handle one; but even with the strength he had, he had to give his body a rest. He was human after all – certainly no super-soldier. Or any soldier for that matter.

He made his way over to the couch, restless. He had been traveling for hours without taking a seat, and he was contentious as ever. Speaking to him about anything would surely force out a witty but extremely sardonic response; but Eren dared to speak up to him. "And when _are _we going exactly?"

Levi stopped to look at him.

The boy continued, "We've been waiting here for hours… shouldn't we be leaving now? I thought this thing was supposed to happen as soon as possible."

"That's funny," Levi scoffed and took a seat on the couch. "A kid like you wouldn't even make a quarter of the distance without good rest beforehand. _Sleep._"

"I'm not a _kid_," Eren stated. "If we're not leaving now then when _are _we leaving?"

Levi yawned and kicked his feet onto the couch, lying back against the cushions. He groaned as his tired joints slowly began to relax. "I'll wake you up when it's time to go."

"But–"

Levi lashed an icy stare towards him. "Go to sleep, or I'll _put you to sleep._"

Eren tightened his lips, unable to come up with a jocular comeback. He then gestured with his hands mockingly and lied back onto the floor. He turned his back away from the couch, resting on his side. He angrily closed his eyes, hoping he could get some more sleep on such a stiff wood floor.

Petra turned to Levi and noticed the increased amount of dirt he had on his clothes. He certainly trekked through some difficult landscapes if he had gotten himself so disheveled. His skin was glossy with sweat and tainted with specks of filth.

"I feel so disgusting right now," Levi grumbled as he sat up and made way for the dresser across from the couch's armrest. Petra watched him rush by, hurriedly rummaging through the dresser for a clean shirt and pants.

"Well, while you do that, I'll make you some tea – maybe you'll calm down afterwards," Petra teased. "You need some rest too you know. You've been awfully cranky all day."

"Please don't tell me he's _usually_ like that," Eren mumbled from the floor.

Levi immediately turned to him. "Go to sleep, you little shit."

The boy's shoulders jerked at the iciness in the last word. He then sighed and tried to relax as much as he could, praying that the journey would not be _too _treacherous for an inexperienced rebel like himself.

Petra walked into the cramped kitchen and opened a loose cupboard. She snatched a box of tea packets from one of the shelves along with a small white cup. "We're running out of tea packets, Levi," she called out to him. "I think we'll need to make another trip east after we're done with this whole smuggling-Eren-deal." She then filled a kettle with water and set a fire for the stove. "Come to think of it, we'll need more than just tea. There's the whole ammo business too."

"Reiner said he'll reimburse us with ammo, so we're fine there."

Petra stepped out of the kitchen with her hands on her hips. "But what if it isn't–"

She then held her breath, stunned at what she was seeing. Her hands fell to her sides, frozen from such a magnificent sight before her; but after thinking it over again and again…

She certainly came in at the wrong time.

Levi had his hands at the rim of his shirt and pulled the crinkled, dirty thing off. He tossed it to the side, beginning to unbutton a clean white shirt that he had placed on top of the dresser.

Petra inspected his shirtless body, up and down, face heating up at a glorious image. _Oh… wow…_

His skin was still shiny from sweating, but the gloss just made everything look_ better_. Even though it was just his side that she was looking at, boy, did he have quite a lovely body. She was flushed yet again, seeing his half naked body for the first time ever since they started living together. They were always good about maintaining privacy for one another, always stepping behind a corner in the room or turning their backs at the very least, never sneaking a peek at each other; but supposedly, Eren's sudden appearance in their life and home hampered their daily routine.

His body was toned – from the shoulders, to the biceps, to the pecks and to the abdomen. She saw ridges at his stomach, portraying sculpted abs that she had never seen before… but was lucky to see for herself. She _marveled_ at the sight. But at the same time, she felt guilty, watching him change his clothes. _What's gotten into you?! _She asked herself. Slowly, she crept back into the small kitchen, catching one last, _long _look at his body as he began to slide one arm into a sleeve. Her eyes wandered lower towards the lip of his pants and trailed over a toned indent in his skin.

_But he's just so…_ Petra swallowed, feeling a dryness in her throat.

"Petra." She suddenly snapped herself into the kitchen completely, avoiding any gaze he might have given.

"Y-Yes, Levi?"

"The kettle's been whistling. Don't you hear it?"

_Kettle?_

"The water's gonna evaporate, you know."

Gasping, she leaped to the stove and set the noisy kettle aside.

How long had she been staring?

_As long as he didn't see…_ _I'm fine._ She patted her cheeks and exhaled, pouring hot water into a cup.

* * *

><p>She placed a full cup of tea onto the table in front of the couch. Levi acknowledged the cup as he sat up from the addicting comfort of the couch cushion. She sat down next to him and saw Eren's back turned towards the two of them. His side rose and sank slowly with every breath he took. He was sound asleep. Surprisingly, it did not take him long to fall asleep on such a hard surface as the old, creaky wood floor of the apartment. She grinned at his peacefulness and leaned back into the couch.<p>

"So," Petra began, "how'd you pull it off? Stealing two sets of maneuver gear right from underneath their noses?"

Levi took a sip of his tea. "You'd be surprised at how many members the Shift doesn't have. Practically empty at their camp."

Petra tilted her head. "Really? Well then how do we expect to see just a couple of them to meet us at Wall Rose?"

"Very good question."

She raised a brow, perplexed by this deal that they had made with the leader of the Shift. "If we don't know for sure that a group will meet us over there, then why even go? We already have our gear… Let's just call a quits now and send him back to Reiner? And turn down their offer completely."

"Reiner's at the camp now; and they're too smart for that," Levi said as he swallowed some tea. "They'll realize even sooner than we stole our gear back, and they'll come looking for us."

"So then why did you even think of stealing our gear from them if you knew all that?" Petra asked with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"Because if we want to make it to Wall Rose, we're gonna need maneuver gear. Reiner and I barely dodged all of the Titans we saw on our way to their base, and it would be ridiculous for us to accept this deal without our gear. The three of us traveling together would just attract even more Titans. I'd rather steal our gear and go through with this smuggling thing than do it with just ammunition."

"But now that you stole it all back, we have no choice but to do this."

"That's right."

Petra sighed, rubbing her temples while contemplating this new ordeal they were presented with. Stealing their gear back was one thing, but doing so just to properly execute their mission was just so… _unorthodox._

"At least they'll be happy that we brought the brat to them. In the end, we'll have our gear, and they'll have the kid. We'll all be happy and can continue on with our shitty lives."

"Yeah…"

Petra looked down at her lap, wondering what life would be like after they go through with the fast-approaching expedition. They had their maneuver gear, and they knew the quarantine zones like the backs of their hands. They knew where to go and how to get there; but because they had their gear, it also meant more independence for the both of them – they would not need to be dependent on each other like when they were only armed with simple firepower and survival knives. She hated the thought of leaving him or him leaving her using the maneuver gear. They both wanted to escape to a better place than the filthy zone they dwelled in.

But who's to say that they would escape together?

She had spent so many years with him and knew him better than anyone else – she refused to give that up after finishing the mission assigned to the two of them.

They were companions to each other – parts of one another in their bleak, Titan-ravaged world.

"We'll… continue on…" Petra spoke hesitantly, twiddling her thumbs at her lap.

He glanced over at Petra, hearing a touch of anxiety in her soft voice as he took one more sip of tea. He swallowed with an audible gulp and heard her speak even quieter:

"…Together…?"

He paused momentarily, staring at the table in front of him. Petra remained silent. He then set the empty teacup onto the table and leaned back. He reached over to her, turning her head to face his. She looked at him apprehensively, into his calm eyes; and he pulled her closer into his gaze. Her heart began to beat harder against her chest, having been intentionally pulled closer to the man she had just seen shirtless not too long ago. _Never _had he been so gentle with her before – it was completely unexpected. Half of her was confused while the other half did not mind at all. Her mind raced with so many intimate thoughts about him, wondering what he would do next.

She felt a strange warmth from his gesture. She was finally beginning to feel a connection between them – one that had begun to exceed their long-term companionship.

"Levi…?" she whispered breathlessly.

He brushed the hair from her face, pushing it behind her ear.

But then he pulled away.

_Oh…_

She was numb in her seat, expecting something much, _much_ more.

Perhaps it was just her imagination, feeling some sort of intimate connection coming from him. Her heart sank, and she looked down at her lap again.

But then, he replied to her, with words that packed heavy meaning behind them, thus filling her with a new form of hope.

"We'll continue on together," he said to her softly.

_Together. _The last word rang pleasantly in her mind, and she smiled, reassured.

* * *

><p>Levi stomped his foot dangerously close to Eren's nose. Alarmed, Eren shot up from the floor, heart slamming against his chest as if he was about to be eaten by something.<p>

"Time to go, brat," Levi said plainly.

Eren rubbed his eyes and followed his two escorts out the front door.

After locking up the building, they began their trek, with hoods raised over their heads and gear clanking softly against their legs. Eren was the quietest one among the three of them, armed only with a simple knife. The sky was pitch black, and the streets were completely silent. No one dared to venture out of their homes and shelters at such a late hour. Surely the military would have been making their rounds for night watch, but there were no soldiers in sight.

They slipped into a dark underground tunnel, dimly lit by torches. Their footsteps echoed in the dead of night, sounding so eerie whenever they took a step forward. Eren raised the scarf to cover his mouth, uncertain about their route through this dark tunnel.

"This tunnel will lead us to the countryside," Levi explained. "It's secluded from the rest of the townsfolk. We won't be running into anyone else here."

"Who uses these tunnels?" Eren asked.

"Merchants and other smugglers. The military doesn't even know about this path."

"Well that's convenient."

Petra walked briskly to Levi's side and inquired, "Levi… why did they choose _us _in the first place?"

"We were never their first choice," Levi said, "Reiner wanted to do it himself. Then he wanted to turn to that son of a bitch Kenny. And guess what happened."

Petra groaned in disgust, "I still can't believe he wanted _him _to do this job. I just hope they don't come looking for us right this minute. Especially since we're actually serious about this."

Levi looked over his shoulder at Eren. "Speaking of which, why _are _you so important."

Eren thought for a moment, looking down at Levi's feet.

"Heir to a throne or something?"

"Um, not exactly…"

"Didn't think so." Levi turned away. "You look like a filthy piece of shit anyway."

Eren wrinkled his brow. _Okay then._

"How long is this all gonna take?" he asked irritably.

"If everything goes as planned, we should make it to Castle Utgard by sunrise. It's a couple hours worth of walking since the brat doesn't have any maneuver gear himself; but it'll save us oxygen we don't have."

The maneuver gear served as a means of transportation for soldiers. It was also a key element in the fight against the Titans. Maneuver gear operated using pressurized gas or oxygen tanks. As long as the soldier had oxygen tanks strapped along with their maneuver gear, all should be well. However, without any extra oxygen tanks on hand, the use of maneuver gear could spell disastrous results in the midst of combat.

Levi planned to keep 3DMG usage to a minimum until they found extra oxygen tanks handy. And even if the situation called for it – such as a Titan encounter or a fight against the military – they would still need to keep a close eye on how much oxygen they expelled from their maneuver gear.

As they crept closer to the end of the tunnel, Eren continued to feel uneasy at his stomach. Something was not right about the path they were taking despite being separated from city life There was a human-like presence looming closer to them, but he was unable to name what it was. Soldiers? Titans? The streets were empty; the soldiers were relaxed as far as night-watch rounds went; and Titans would not have been able to stray into the city that easily.

So what was it?

Levi adjusted his cloak and spoke again, "Eren, once we make it out of this tunnel, you stay right on our heels. Understand?"

Eren stuttered, "Y-Yes."

A couple minutes later, they saw the moonlight at the end of the tunnel. The lit torches along the walls were turning into mere decorations that disappeared into the darkness. Levi was the first to step foot outside the tunnel – as soon as his boot stepped onto the countryside land, their expedition had truly begun. It was fair game from then on; but what welcomed him outside the tunnel certainly caught him by surprise.

"_Levi!_" Petra yelped as the butt of a rifle struck him hard in the head.

He collapsed onto his knees, calloused hands colliding onto the moist ground; but a soldier had approached him from behind and pushed him into the dirt. He nabbed his wrists, folding them together to keep him at bay.

Another soldier bounded into the tunnel, forcing Petra and Eren out into the open then throwing them onto the ground. Levi turned his head, watching the soldier force the two onto their stomachs with a rifle pointed at their heads. He then shot a heartless glare at the armed soldier, feeling helpless for the first time in ages.

_Bullshit._

"Let go!" Eren snarled. "I said let _go!_"

_Bull fucking shit._

Levi clenched his teeth and fists in pure rage as a longer strand of curses slipped through his lips.

He miscalculated.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN _THE LAST OF US _OR ANY PART OF THE NAUGHTY DOG FRANCHISE OR _ATTACK ON TITAN_. THIS IS SIMPLY FAN WORK.**

* * *

><p>"Don't do anything stupid," one of the soldiers barked as he aimed his rifle at his captives' heads.<p>

The trio laid on the ground under the soldiers' watchful eyes. Eren had been forced into a panic, his breathing becoming erratic; Levi on the other hand fought hard to maintain a calm composure, plotting ways to mutilate the soldiers' wrinkly complexions. Harming them was one thing but doing so without taking a bullet was another.

"I'll alert the squad captain," the other soldier said while mounting his brown steed. "You stay here and make sure these three rats don't pull anything."

"Wait a sec though. Do you have any rope? I wasn't expecting to see _three _stragglers out and about."

"You don't need any. Pointing your rifle at 'em's good enough. I'll be back in around five minutes."

"Tell him that they got their hands on some maneuver gear too."

"Ho-ho, what lucky bastards then. This isn't gonna sit well with the captain."

The soldier rode off in a rhythmic gallop, heading east of the tunnel. The one left behind then began protocol, whipping out three separate Petri dishes and syringes from a leather pouch. Eren cringed at the sight of the needles, anxiety gnawing at his core. Truth be told, he had seen too many needles throughout his childhood — his father was a doctor after all; but he could barely handle seeing one more at his age. The sharpness of the needles themselves was enough to keep him at bay from anything.

The soldier first approached Levi. He knelt down beside him and saw his unnerving glare; but it meant absolutely nothing to the soldier who then scoffed at Levi's anger.

"I'm angry too you know," the soldier groaned. "I'm pissed off because I gotta deal with this shit again and in the middle of the night too."

He snapped on a pair of gloves, signaling the start of the blood sampling procedure. Using an alcohol pad, he wiped the length of the needle and the back of Levi's neck, killing any bacteria that could potentially enter into the bloodstream after breaking into the skin. He then rapidly plunged the needle deep into his neck without any warning at all.

"Ugh!" Levi groaned at the sharp pain. Blood began to collect inside the syringe. As soon the collection rose to ten milliliters, the soldier pulled the needle out from underneath Levi's skin and quickly released the sample onto the Petri dish. He sealed the dish tight and watched the crimson collection for ten seconds. Nothing happened.

"You're clean," the soldier said as he moved over to Petra.

He repeated the same process with a new needle, forcing out a small yelp from her through the abruptness of the procedure. The results of the sampling came out negative — she too was free from the Titan infection. Mentally, she sighed from relief.

"You lot sure are lucky," the soldier began, making his way over to Eren. "Well, so far. Most of the ones I've examined were infected. Shot 'em on sight you know."

Eren's heart raced through every passing second the soldier took to prep his supplies. His red scarf was tugged loose as he felt the coldness of the alcohol pad run down his neck. His body jerked from the surprise.

"Hold still, brat."

He then felt the needle dig deep into his flesh and a small pressure from the syringe's suction. As soon as the soldier pulled the needle free, he transferred the sample onto the Petri dish; but what he saw did not satisfy him one bit.

Suddenly, Eren shot up and tackled the soldier, shoving him into the dirt. The sealed Petri dish flew from the soldier's hand, rolling onto a rock. Eren whipped out a knife from his pocket and slashed into flesh — at the arms, the shoulders, chest then the neck. The man writhed underneath Eren but quickly gave out after losing an artery.

Levi and Petra watched in shock but were brought back to reality when they heard the trotting of a horse. The mounted soldier cursed at the sight and readied his rifle but was quickly shot down by Levi. The corpse fell hard onto the ground, and the horse fled into the far west.

Eren panted heavily from the adrenaline. He slid himself away from the soldier's dead body, picking up his knife and wiping it dry on the ground. He looked towards Levi with eyes of panic and trembled. "I thought... I thought we were just gonna hold them up or something...!"

Noticing something peculiar, Petra trailed herself over to the dropped Petri dish that rested against a small rock. She picked it up carefully and gasped at its contents. She turned her head to Levi with a dismal expression. She motioned him over.

"Levi… you need to see this."

Levi appeared beside her and yanked the Petri dish out of her hand. He eyed it closely and inhaled sharply from the wretched sight. The blood inside the dish was steaming, and the dish itself was warming up with a miniature fog. Levi rushed over to Eren, cursing under his breath. Mercilessly, he kicked the boy in the chest, launching him three feet back. The boy landed on his posterior and coughed from the sudden impact before he was kicked again. And again.

And again.

"What the hell, Levi?!" Eren grunted as the wind was knocked right out of him.

Levi stomped onto Eren chest, pinning him to the ground. He then narrowed his eyes at him and held the warmed Petri dish above the boy's face.

"Why the hell are we smuggling an _infected_ brat like you?"

Eren looked directly into Levi's cold blue eyes, trembling from his killing intent that was becoming palpable.

"I-I'm not infected!" Eren gasped.

"No?" Levi dropped the Petri dish next to Eren's cheek. "Was this lying then?"

"I can explain!"

Petra stepped beside him and pointed her parrying blade at Eren's neck. "You better explain fast before we end your life in a heartbeat!"

Frantically, he pulled his right sleeve up slightly to the wrist, revealing his whole hand that had been hiding underneath the fabric the entire time. A reddened bite mark was engraved into the skin at the base of his thumb — and it looked fresh.

"Look!" he cried out.

"I don't care how you got infected, brat," Levi pressed his boot harder into Eren's chest, depriving him of oxygen.

"Ugh!" Eren struggled to speak. "It's...! Three weeks old, okay...?"

"Anyone that gets infected turns into a Titan within two days!" Petra chimed in quickly. "Stop trying to lie to us, Eren!"

"It's three weeks! I swear! Reiner wouldn't set you up like that! I know he wouldn't!"

Hesitantly, Petra lowered her blade slightly.

Levi growled, "I'm still not buying it, you little shit."

Suddenly, the same galloping they heard earlier had returned with a vengeance. There was a whole squad in the distance, en route of the trio's direction. Levi rolled his head towards the galloping and cursed into the air once again. He removed his boot from the boy's chest and hopped away from him.

He grit his teeth towards the pending danger and drew his parrying blades. "Take the boy and run, Petra."

The braying of the horses sounded even closer now.

"W-Wait—"

"Over there!" a soldier cried out in the distance.

"_Move,_ Petra!" Levi made a break for it, leaping into the trenches a few meters from the tunnel.

"Get up, Eren!" she shouted as she pulled him up.

He shakily rose from the ground with pain all over his anterior. Petra snatched his wrist and closely followed Levi into the trenches. The two just barely landed on their feet when they dropped in, making a crackling sound in the pebbles underneath their shoes. The braying and the galloping stopped above them at the surface, and the intimidating sound of multiple pairs of boots echoed throughout the trenches. Rifles were cocked and the boots scattered in different directions.

"Keep moving and _fast_," Levi whispered as they traveled through the trench shadows.

Petra and Eren ran after him, disappearing into the blackness of their path.

"Search for those stragglers!" bellowed a soldier from above. "I want them on their knees in front of me with blood and bruises all over their bodies!"

A chill went up Petra's spine upon hearing the soldier's orders. Eren was terrified, shaking in his boots even while he followed Levi's lead. And Levi himself — nothing seemed to faze him at all. He was cool and composed in the midst of this escape. What went through his head in times like these remained a mystery to Eren. Nonetheless, the boy envied Levi's attitude in these situations. Perhaps Levi was not such a cruel person after all, Eren thought. His methods in dealing with his temper may be the worst thing anyone could be a part of, but he was smart. A quick thinker. A skilled smuggler.

Eren found a form of relief in him, believing that he could bring him to the Shift members in one piece. The thought that scared him, however, was whether or not Levi would even give him a chance to live after they escaped the soldiers' pursuit.

They stuck to the trenches like roaches on the sewer walls — a sight Levi was all too familiar with. The trenches were originally used as a form of defense against the Titans – a small fortress. It did not take long for the military to scrap the idea because the Titans would only step through it like any other piece of land they walked on. The walls were smoothed out from the years of erosion and manmade efforts, but the ground was rough with rocks that would fall inside from the Titans' footsteps. There were no sharp turns in the trenches or forks in the path which made it easy for the group to navigate – but that meant there was only one way out; and who could say that the military was not waiting for them on the other side?

Levi listened to the surface of the trenches, looking for any soldiers that could be found at the end of the path or easily drop in from the ledge by surprise. The coast was clear so far, but he suddenly came to a stop after reaching the end of the trenches. Petra and Eren halted behind his back.

They glued themselves closer to the trench walls to study the new environment before them. They discovered a plethora of debris sitting on the ground, large enough for them to crouch down and hide behind. However, it was not the greatest advantage for them — another squad of soldiers patrolled the grounds nearby, pushing the trio's adrenaline levels to the limit. The soldiers slowly approached the rubble next to the trench exit with lanterns in their hands, dangerously close to the trio's precise location.

"How do we get past them?" Eren's voice shook as he heard the soldiers come closer.

An idea sparked inside Petra's head. She picked up a large rock beside Eren's foot. She crept behind a straight piece of rubble, chucking the rock towards the patrol. The rock flew behind the patrol, landing against a broken wall of a former building. The soldiers then lashed their lanterns towards the noise, startled.

"Come out, you pieces of shit!" a soldier howled. "We won't hurt ya!"

"Yeah, right," Eren mumbled.

"Let's go!" Petra mouthed.

They crept behind the various pieces of rubble, avoiding the military's keen eyes. Well, semi-keen eyes. They were agile as cats, jumping behind rubble to rubble like child's play. Tricks such as that had become instinctive to them — not so much on Eren's part; but he still managed, clinging behind Petra who was much kinder to him in their given situation.

They sped past the last bit of rubble, dropping into another trench. Directly in front of them was a metal door to a small, cement tunnel. Levi pulled it open and hurried inside with Petra and Eren right at his back. Petra guided Eren in front of her as she remained behind to shut the door. As she placed her hands lightly over the rusted metal, she heard the voices of nearby soldiers:

"Did you check the trenches?"

"Yes, sir."

"_All _of them?"

"Yes, sir. But they're not there. Or anywhere..."

"If we don't catch them, the Titans will. Report back to head quarters!"

"Yes, sir!"

She heard the intense galloping of horses disappear into the distance and the groaning of frustrated men. Carefully, she eased the door shut and followed Levi and Eren out of the cramped tunnel. Upon exiting, she found Eren slumped against a boulder panting and Levi a few paces away with his back turned. She hopped out of the tunnel and approached Eren.

"Okay, Eren," she said, "What was the plan?"

"Plan?" he panted.

She nodded. "Let's say we delivered you to Castle Utgard. What happens afterwards?"

Eren looked down at his feet, apprehensive to reply. "Reiner said... he said that the Shift has their own little quarantine zone with doctors still trying to find a cure."

_A cure?_ Levi questioned silently.

"And... whatever happened to me…" He reached around his neck and tugged from underneath his shirt a golden key. "Whatever happened to me is the key to finding a vaccine. Literally."

Levi scoffed at the notion. "Bullshit."

"It's what he said."

"_Bull_shit."

Eren stepped towards Levi and snapped at him, "I didn't ask for this you know!"

Levi rolled his eyes and began to walk away. "We didn't either, kid. Let's go, Petra."

"What if it's true?"

He stopped in his tracks, stunned by what he heard. He turned around and gave Petra a disgusted look.

"What _if_, Levi?"

"Petra," he said her name slowly. "Let's. Go."

"We've already come this far. Let's just finish it."

Levi was cross.

Petra walked up to him and seized his wrist. He suddenly became tense.

"Levi, you stole our gear back from them — there's no going back now. You even said so yourself."

She released her grasp on his wrist, feeling the tension within him disappear. He looked over his shoulder at the huge white moon that sank gradually behind the distant valleys. How long has it been since he last stared at the moon like that? He ambled away with his head craned up to the big white orb in the sky. Petra and Eren simply watched him, noticing his sudden calmness.

In the sky, he faintly saw an image of his old companions' faces – with Isabel smiling widely and Farlan drinking a bottle of beer. They were laughing – happy to be together, wishing to stay forever. Levi's eyes then suddenly widened, recalling their horrified expressions as they were stuffed into a Titan's gape.

"_**Big brother!**_" Isabel's scream reverberated in his head. He then clenched his fists.

"Levi?" Petra said softly.

Levi blinked.

"You okay?" she said, bringing him out of his stupor.

His eyes drooped down to the calm valleys beneath the moon. He saw the tiniest dot in the distance – it was Castle Utgard, awaiting Eren's arrival. Closer to them, there were buildings – a village. He sighed deeply, raising his eyes again at the all-seeing moon in the sky.

"Let's go."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN _THE LAST OF US _OR ANY PART OF THE NAUGHTY DOG FRANCHISE OR _ATTACK ON TITAN_. THIS IS SIMPLY FAN WORK.**

* * *

><p>"This way," Levi called out over his shoulder. "If we cut through Ragako Village, we should make it to Castle Utgard by sunrise."<p>

They journeyed through several kilometers worth of grass, attempting to reach the village ahead. It was a smooth trek so far, but it was rather surprising. They had not encountered any Titans for a few hours, and all they had been traveling through was a vast, open area — an unbecoming environment for 3DM gear usage. One would think they would encounter at least three Titans at this point in their journey, but supposedly luck was definitely on their side for this mission.

Surely their clothes had begun to stink from their own sweat with the nonstop travelling. They could feel the fabric beginning to stick to their skin even while skulking about in the early morning cold. The filth was such a nuisance to Levi that he was actually looking forward to scavenging for abandoned clothing more than a knife or a bullet. Offensive and defensive supplies were the priority in their small hunt, but a change of clothes and socks would have been very nice too. Especially in Levi's case who had been out and about since he woke up the day prior.

When the sky finally began to change from black to morning blue, they stepped foot on Ragako Village boundaries. There was a fence post that stretched around the village perimeter; a brick or two that were obviously misplaced; stray, torn cloth. There were also no signs of life anywhere except for the ground they walked on, which was dark green all over — healthy as can be. A few more kilometers forward was a one-story wooden home – the first building they had reached ever since they exited the tunnel leading out of the city. The house was rotting from the infamous mixture of old age and rain. Hoping to find rations and other equipment hidden inside drawers and cupboards, Levi walked up to the front porch. Upon placing his hand on the rusted knob, there was a slight tremor in the distance.

The three of them looked south, into the valleys from whence they came.

"What the hell was that?" Eren gulped.

Petra looked towards Levi who was fiddling with the door. "Levi, did you hear that?"

"It's far away." He dug the blade of his knife into the key hole of the doorknob, unlocking it from the outside. The door then propped open with a petty squeak. "It's nothing to worry about. Now get in here."

"But… it sounds close to _me_…" Eren said apprehensively as he watched the valleys with Petra brushing past his shoulder. "Are you sure we're safe?"

"For now. Keep moving, kid."

Eren followed his escorts inside the house, looking back at the valleys. He found Levi opening all of the drawers and cupboards in the kitchen, searching for anything that could be deemed useful. He sifted through utensils of different shapes and sizes. The forks clinked against the spoons and the spoons clinked against the knives. Slamming the drawers back in place, he crouched down to the cabinets below the sink, forcing them open, thus cleaning supplies. No guns. No bullets. No bandages.

_Cleaning fucking supplies._

"Would've been nice," Levi mumbled, "if I had the time to _fucking_ _clean right now_." He threw the cabinet doors shut and rose from the wooden floor.

A strange urge had Eren checking on the valleys through the windows every couple seconds. He was paranoid, thinking something was looking for them whenever he heard the cool wind blow against the old house. The boy then asked the temperamental man at the sink: "Don't you two have anything that _I_ can use? You know, something better than just a knife? Something that can help fight against the Titans?"

"I don't have any amount of trust in you to fire a gun at a Titan, so that's a no. A big no."

Eren frowned.

"I'm not about to get my head blown off if I give you a gun."

Levi jerked his neck towards Petra who was in the corner examining the shelves that hung over a bare wooden counter. He had heard plastic bottles rattling against each other. Medicine perhaps?

"What'd you find, Petra?"

"Nothing," she sighed. "Just some herbs and spices, but no food to use them with. The herbs are purely for eating – no strategic health value there."

"We'll try the next couple of buildings then. Should be near the village square."

Eren swiftly dodged Levi's shoulder as the man made his way out the door. Petra followed suit but stopped quietly beside the boy.

"You'll get used to him," Petra whispered with a grin.

"I hope you're right," he said, tired of Levi's constantly aggravated demeanor. He tailed Petra out of the house, hearing their boots crunch down on the soft grass. He continued, "Is there a reason why he's like that?"

"It's just the way he is," she chuckled.

"…Why."

"I guess it's the way he was raised."

They stayed a few meters behind Levi, careful not to be loud enough for him to hear. He was in his own little world now, focused on getting what they wanted and needed before they could move on from the silent village. And so, Petra used the opportunity to lecture Eren on the intimidating man that stood before them.

"He was raised in the Underground City, you know," Petra mentioned.

"The Underground City?" Eren queried. "What's that?"

"You're too young to know. I don't blame you. It was probably long gone around the time you were born. Beforehand it was basically the slums of all slums — home to the Black Market and any kind of thug you can think of. He was a poor man, Eren."

"That's harsh..." But that was the man that had been leading him through this dangerous journey from the very beginning. He wondered how Levi managed to live his life in a bleak place as the Underground City. Calling it the "slums of the slums" was an understatement. Eren was unable to imagine how much tougher life could have been especially with the Titans on their rampage during his time.

"He was a poor man, but he was a well-known thug and a high-roller in the Black Market."

_Whoa._

"So… did he- did he actually kill people for food then?"

Petra hesitated to answer. "...He might have..."

Eren's eyes flicked to Levi's cloaked back, beginning to understand the killing intent the man had for him earlier.

"But he's not all that bad. He doesn't hurt people willy-nilly."

"You sure about that?" He placed a hand on his bruised chest.

Petra giggled, "I'm sure. That beating he gave you had meaning behind it. He wanted to make sure you wouldn't pull anything after we found out you were... 'infected.' Can't blame him either."

He watched the tail of Levi's cloak wave in the cool, morning breeze as they trudged up a slow-rising hill. He caught a glimpse of the maneuver gear hiding underneath his garb, envious of his privileges with its usage. His eyes then sunk to a corner, the brightness in his irises fading from disappointment.

"It still doesn't seem like he trusts me in any way though," he solemnly spoke.

"He's... a very reserved person," Petra replied.

He then turned his head to her, looking at her with curved brows. "_You_ trust me... right? I-I wasn't lying back there... I mean it-"

"If I didn't trust you, then I wouldn't have tried to convince him earlier to keep pushing with this mission."

Eren's eyes suddenly brightened, finding hope in Petra's words. If he chose to pull through with the job despite having a so-called "infected kid" with a sane mind following right behind him, then the man was not heartless after all. He had… maybe a quarter of a heart. Maybe.

"Hey!" Levi shouted from the very top of the hill. "Let's pick up the pace!"

"We're coming!"

Eren could see Levi's scowl all the way from the base of the hill although Petra did not seemed bothered by it at all. He could tell she was used it – that his expression meant nothing personal, at least not at the very moment; so he brushed the dirty look aside, taking the chance to start getting used to seeing it more often in their expedition. He then ran to the top of the hill, much to Petra's surprise. He had a sudden burst of energy, putting forth his own trust in his two escorts. If Petra trusted him, Levi must have done the same.

From the top of the green hill, Eren saw the village square meters below. There was a grey dot in the far distance. He closed an eye and extended his arm. He raised his clean thumb beside the dot, measuring it from afar. The dot was as big as the moon on his nail — it was still a long ways away. Twenty kilometers worth, it seemed.

"That's Castle Utgard over there, isn't it?" Eren asked, still keeping his thumb close to the grey dot in the expanse.

Petra stood beside Levi who then spoke to her with his eyes glued to the same dot Eren gawked at. "It's still a long ways ahead. We could cut straight through this village, scrounge up supplies; or go around and keep moving. Pick your poison. We're bound to run into some Titans along either way."

"I don't like the sound of that at all…" Petra sighed. "How big would the Titans here be though?"

"As big as the houses here."

"What's the plan if we cut through?"

"We clear out any and all the Titans here first. Then we'll camp in one of the houses with whatever supplies we find before we make a solid break for the castle. If you haven't noticed, the path from the village to the castle is too much of an open area. We need to maintain a faster pace over there if we plan to avoid any trouble. We're our own horses when that time comes."

Petra shook her head at the wide expanse. There were no trees, no buildings, no rubble – nothing that the 3DM gear can stick onto. The ground would be of little help. She then glanced at the boy who craned his neck to examine the village square below. With her and Levi armed with military weapons and Eren armed with… a knife… could they even pull this off unseen by the Titans? Petra could not help but wonder.

"What about _him_?"

"He stays out of the way and lets us do the fighting. I don't need him fucking anything up whether he's infected or not."

Levi jogged down the hill towards the empty village square, his gear rattling loudly on the way down. Petra motioned Eren to follow, and he obediently stuck close by.

As they treaded through the square surrounded by various buildings, they could feel nothing but emptiness from the entire village. The buildings were decomposing, but the vegetation nearby were still green; so where did the people go?

"This is Ragako Village?" Eren asked, tossing his head in every direction.

"_Was,_" Petra replied, trying to determine an age for the vacuous buildings around them. "Now it's just… a ghost town. There are still crops growing around though."

"I wouldn't trust those," Levi chimed. "Let's just keep looking for anything we can use."

He crossed diagonally through the square, walking in front of a small, abandoned pub. The door was not locked but felt as if it was jammed from the inside. He examined the hinges of the door, but they had not rusted completely. Something could have blocked the pathway on the other side. A crate – a cement block? He leaned against the door on his shoulder and rammed into it three times. The hinges began to loosen from the pounding – progress. On the third strike, the door burst open, hinges breaking off and bolts flying into the air. He stumbled into the building as the sides of his maneuver gear slammed against the doorway. He caught himself, leaning far forward from the momentum.

Suddenly, he froze.

"Levi!" Petra shrieked, seeing a scrunched and swollen humanoid figure waiting in the pub.

"A Titan?!" Eren gasped.

Levi was numbed. The figure reached as tall as the pub's ceiling, smiling down at him with the most hideous set of teeth mankind has ever seen. It opened its maw, and for an instant, he saw a cruel vision – a glimpse of Isabel and Farlan sitting on the Titan's tongue.

"**Levi!**" they screamed in unison. They reached for him, slowly sliding farther down the Titan's mouth. "**Levi, please!**"

"Levi!" Petra screamed again, running into the building with Eren trailing close behind. "_Levi!_"

Petra's voice erased the horrible vision, and his eyes were filled with hatred. He saw the Titan reaching for his body with one of its large, wrinkly hands. He jumped back and drew his blades, charging straight through the abomination. Petra came to a screeching halt, just out of range from the rain of blood. Eren watched from behind Petra as blood rained down in thick clumps onto the pub floor, soon evaporating into the air. He had seen people get chopped into pieces and shot to death; but witnessing a _Titan _death was something he was left in awe about.

The boy reached into his pocket, feeling the handle of his survival knife. He then glossed his eyes over the mutilated Titan body, comparing its size to the tiny weapon he kept sheathed. He was envious – he wanted to carve through the Titans too. He wanted his own maneuver gear – his own soldier-level weapons.

What could a simple survival knife do against a Titan?

_Nothing._

He clenched the handle taut, frustrated at his visible helplessness.

After all of the steam had cleared, Petra lingered over to Levi who stood still in the Titan's place. He was looking down, brows wrinkled in pure dissatisfaction. Roughly, he sheathed his blades and covered his gear with the ends of his cloak. He then pivoted, heading for the door.

"Let's go."

"What happened?" Petra demanded.

He stopped. "The hell are you talking about."

"You just suddenly _froze…_" she replied._ "_You… never do that…"

Eren remained silent and hovered towards the exit.

"What happened? Did you see something?"

"Yes."

Petra's lips arched downwards.

Eren slipped out the door.

"What did you see?" Petra asked quietly.

Levi refused to respond. Instead, he took a step forward to the exit again; but Petra snatched his wrist. "Levi…"

His eyes ran over the ruined wood floor, then to the boy who was standing patiently outside the pub. He blinked.

And he saw dear Isabel.

He blinked again.

Gone.

He swiveled his body towards Petra. He blinked.

And he saw Farlan.

He blinked again.

Gone.

"Levi?" she uttered quietly. He was looking at her with perplexity and a form of astonishment – a blend that did not sit well with her. Her hand gently eased down to his, squeezing it tight, hoping she could wake him up from whatever stupor he was in.

_What was happening?_

"Levi," she said sternly.

He turned his back to her, with her hand still in his palm. He squeezed her hand briefly in response and let it slip through his fingers, unwilling to talk.


End file.
